How does gibberellic acid affect plant growth?

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When used on plants, gibberellic acid produces bigger leaves and longer stems, enhances photosynthesis, stimulates seed germination and triggers transitions from the vegetative to the flowering stage. Gibberellic acid is a plant hormone that stimulates plant growth. In chemical terminology, it is a tetracyclic di-terpenoid compound.

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Even though gibberellic acid is a hormone found in plants, most plants produce it at a very low rate. Therefore, it is made industrially and used as a type of plant fertilizer in many different agricultural industries.

One of the most widespread uses of gibberellic acid is within the grape-growing industry. The hormone is used to produce bigger grapes and larger bundles of grapes. Thompson seedless grapes is one example of the type produced by using gibberellic acid.

The cherry industry uses this fertilizer as a growth replicator, and in the orange industry, it is widely used on Clementine Mandarin oranges. Left alone, these oranges are likely to cross-pollinate with other strains and produce unusable seeds. Applying gibberellic acid to these orange blossoms encourages them to produce fruit without seeds.

Broken down into the most basic action, gibberellic acid affects plant growth by increasing cell growth and cell elongation. The stems of the plant grow longer and the root system is more pronounced, both of which are a result of cell elongation. The increase in cell growth is evidenced by larger leaves of the plant.